The definition of an engineer is supposed to be "A person that can do for one dollar, what any fool can do for two. One might also add a member of DVINFO.NET to that definition.

Wind protection runs the gamut, from $1.98 bargains to zepplins costing several hundred.

I was looking for pop and wind protection for my new Oktava 012's and my soon to be gnu T.H.E. hypercardoid pair. Both are almost the size. the oktava's are 22mm and the T.H.E. mics 21.5mm.

I plan on ordering 6 WindTech Series 12 Windscreens for basic use. They're only $3.50 a piece and come in any of 21 vibrant colours of "sonic foam".

http://www.olsenaudio.com/general.html

For that extra dose of protection there are several options, the first being a WindTech Ultra Series Windscreen, mpodel US-2 , available at B&H by special order for $34.50. (The sound Room wants $50 and markertech wants $45) See link and pasted description.

http://www.olsenaudio.com/special.html

(From the sound room)Designed and manufactured by Craig Olsen of WindTech, these windscreens offer the ultimate in protection. Recommended for boom work, location film/tv sound, any outdoor application and even in the studio instead of a POP filter. Has an outer shell of 80 P.P.I. "SonicFoam"(tm) with an inner dead air space, then another layer of 30 P.P.I. "SonicFoam"(tm) surrounds the .75" mic sleeve.

http://www.rycote.com/MiniWindjammer.htm

The Mini Windjammer is approx $50 and is a furry cover that fit's over the standard windscreen that i first mentioned. For my purposes a "Special 60" will fit.

So for $53.50 you have 2 levels of protection

There is always something like this but I'm afraid it would excite the cat far too much.

http://www.locationsound.ca/miac.html

The PGWS Fur Ball. I understand it's made in Canada from virgins hair. At $95 ($75 US) Canadian each it oughta be.

The PGWS for the ME66 is $145 C$ which is a real bargain. The page shows a few other interesting "Fur Balls" as well as several different mounting systems.

I was planning on ordering the Rycote Baby Ball Gag, and the appropriate WindJammer. The combo runs around $175 USD. It seems like it should be pretty solid protection, but it is expensive. I guess it's all relative, much cheaper than a blimp system for a shotgun.

I went to the site http://www.alanbarker.com/contentpages/screenmod.html and it shows clear instructions for modifying a Sure A81WS foam windscreen so that you get a sort of bald Softie... This windscreen and procedure gives you the dead air space that good systems use, but it still may be inferior to the Windtech solution which gives you two layers of protection AND a dead air space.

Beas turned me on to the Alan Barker page in another mic discussion... I'm not sure which screen would be the best of the choices we have so far.

I almost went with the BBG and Jammer myself, but two bills is definitely pushing it... One thing you can be sure of is that probably is the BEST system...

So what's the second best? I don't mind paying $75 for a Cat Ball.

BEAS, Please take one of the Oktava's with you when you check out the BBG and Jammer... I'd have had one coming except the guy called me back and said it wouldn't work on an Oktava... Kata implies that it will on their site. Please fill us in when you find out.

Also I think that would be appropriate support for a THE mic, but man doesn't that seem high for an Oktava?

One last thing... what the heck did you think I was talking about in my email? The BBG shouldn't be a surprise.

On the Katamount site they say that the BBG fits 19/20mm mics. That would get it to mount around the Oktava... but another retailer down here in the states actually called me back to cancel my order! Saying that he didn't think it would work. I was glad he called me back considering my second thoughts about a $200 (shipped) windscreen for this mic.

Before I have a $500 Oktava rig I'd probably just keep the At4073a as it wasn't too far off and my initial complaint wasn't that the 4073 sounded BAD, just that it lost many SOUND QUALITY tests in relation to the Oktava. Since those tests weren't lost by much, just barely in fact... my entire bitch was that I got a sub $100 mic that was comparing favorably to a $500 mic... The At4073a needs nothing more then a Softie to be an "adverse-conditions" mic... Sooooo, if I would actually NEED a BBG/Jammer then I'd just keep the AT for that purpose.

That set of THE mics is a whole 'nother story... You should get the best for the best.

But as far as it being possible to USE the BBG on the Oktava's. I don't see what the problem would be EXCEPT that you may need to Jerry-Rig the mic where the BBG "grabs" it. THAT'S what I want you to determine when you see it up close!

I had a Rycote Zepp system for my me66 before I sold it and I can tell you that where you see the plastic "ring" that devides the two cages... see it? That part UNSCREWS and you have two halves... so you slip the Oktava xlr end first through the appropriate half THEN you screw the BBG back together THEN you zip/velcro on the Jammer. Simple? No?

Hey if I'm wrong about it working like that then I'll eat a pound of dog crap.

A cheap alternative for an SGM-2X is the mike muff. It's not great because it doesn't do the zeppelin thing with air space around the mic - it fits over your foam windscreen that the mic comes with - but it's not bad for the price. Around $40.

Murph
Follow the links I left. There are products for the Azden shotgun, all you have to do is look them up. Go to the Olson (WindTech) site and look at shotguns . All you have to do is measure your mic, get the right part number then go to a supplier like B&H and do a search for a price.

Lightwave and Rycote have the pull on fake fur covers that pull on over the foam.

So far as Rycote in Canada goes, well they won't be seeing my business. There's more reasonable stuff available.

"For that extra dose of protection there are several options, the first being a WindTech Ultra Series Windscreen, mpodel US-2 , available at B&H by special order for $34.50. (The sound Room wants $50 and markertech wants $45) See link and pasted description."

+++

This is a bit of a coincidence, I just ordered two of these (US-2) from Crouse-Kimzey (www.proaudio.com) for $17.50 each. Interestly, the US series is what is used on the President of the United States' lectern. Over SM81's when at the White House and over SM57's when on the road. They use the SM57's on the road when they need bullet-proof reliability.

Anyway, I'm told the US series has remarkably good wind noise resistance, even when exposed out-of-doors. I'll let you know when I get a chance to test them.